Cooking

Togiharu Hammered Texture Damascus Gyuto 240mm

Essential Knife Skills for Chinese Cooking: Knife & Board

Welcome to my new series, Essential Knife Skills for Chinese Cooking. I’ll be introducing the most common knife cuts in Chinese recipes, with instructional videos that actually work with the produce you have on hand. Compared to many knife skill videos I’ve found online, my methods are based on traditional Chinese knife skills that are minimal waste. Step 1, if you’re struggling with knife work, your tools may be to blame. Fortunately, it doesn’t cost much to set yourself up for success. Here are some of my favorite tools at every price point, along with how to care for them.

healthy mung bean cakes, recipe by The Rice Lover

Easy, Healthy Mung Bean Cakes 低糖少油 绿豆糕

Happy 端午节 (duān wǔ jié) Dragon Boat Festival! This year, I’d like to introduce you to a traditional Chinese dessert that deserves a spot at your table: 绿豆糕 (lǜ dòu gāo) mung bean cakes! Mung bean cakes are delicate, pretty pastries that started out as imperial desserts 贡品 (gòng pín) in the 清朝 Qīng dynasty. Back then, only emperors and nobles could have them. They are soft and creamy, lightly sweet and refreshing. And my version is so healthy that it’s ok to have several!

Sichuan spicy boiled fish

Authentic Sichuan Spicy Boiled Fish 四川水煮鱼

Sichuan Spicy Boiled Fish 水煮鱼 (shuǐ zhǔ yú), literally just “water-boiled fish” sounds ordinary but tastes extraordinary. It’s a vibrant, moderately 麻辣 (málà) spicy and mouth-numbing dish of white fish and vegetables lightly poached in fragrant broth. Sichuan spicy boiled fish is a variant on the famous 重庆火锅 (Chóngqìng huǒ guō) Chongqing spicy hotpot, modified to serve large groups of taxi drivers during their breaks. It’s been one of the most popular dishes in restaurants across China since 1983, when a young Chongqing chef won first prize in a Sichuan food competition with this local invention. Here’s my easy, authentic, and scratch-made version, along with the best wines to drink with it.

Chateau Belloy Canon Fronsac 2010 and Antonin Rodet Givry 1er Cru 2011

Introducing: Chinese Food Wine Pairings!

The flavors in Chinese food are definitely complex, nuanced, and varied. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t be harmonious with wine. To show that delicious Chinese food and a nice bottle of wine make the perfect match, I’m including recommended wine pairings with my Chinese and Chinese-inspired recipes. I’ll have favorite varietals, good bottles, plus the characteristics and proper serving temps. 干杯 Cheers!